Resilient support for carriage-tops.



G L. BARNUM. RESILIENT SUPPORT FOR CARRIAGE TOPS. APPLIOATION IILED MAR; 27,1909.

Patented Mar. 8,1910.

ANDREW ll GRAHAM c0, PHOYWLJYHOGRAPHERS.WASNINGYON ac TlNlllE TAR AT 1T FFTE CHARLES L. BARNUM, 0F KIEFER, OKLAHOMA.

RES-ILIENT SUPPORT FOR CAR-RIAG-E-TGPS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgntgfl lt flgug 8, 1910,

Application filed March 27, 1909. Serial No. 486,178.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns L. BARNUM, citizen of the United States, residing at Kiefer, in the county of Greek and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Supports for Carria 'e-Tops, of which the following is a speci%cation.

This invention relates to carriages and wagons and refers particularly to an at tachment to tops to be applied to same.

The invention has for an object the provision of an attachment whereby the top is resiliently held in a closed position when not in use in order to prevent the jarring of the same incident to the motion of the vehicle and which thereby prevents any damage to the body of the vehicle by reason of the striking of the ribs or bows of the top against the same.

The invention provides the operation of means whereby the attachment may be adjusted so as to either increase or decrease the tension of the same relative to the weight of the top which is supported thereon.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle body having a top with the improvement applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a view of the bows of the top in a closed position and having the improvement applied to the same, the device being detached from the vehicle body.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the body of a carriage which is provided with a side rail which carries the front bolt 12 in the usual manner. Pivotally mounted upon the front bolt 12 is a main bolt 13 upon which the intermediate bow lt is pivoted, which in turn supports the rearmost bow 15. The bows 13, 14;, and 15 are adapted to support a cover, 16, of any adaptable construction. The body. 10 is further provided with a rest 17 which extends laterally therefrom to support the bows when the cover is closed.

The improvement which is the subject of this invention comprises a leaf spring 18, which is curved at right angles at its lower extremity as at 19, which lower extremity is apertured for the reception of the front bolt 12 in order to pivotally support the leaf spring 18. The rear extremity of the leaf spring 18 is curved backwardly uponitself, the curved portion being designated by the numeral 20, and a loop 21 is formed at the point of juncture which disposes the same upon the rear extremity of the leaf spring 18. The curved portion 20 is bent upwardly to engage against the under side of the rearmost how 15 in order to properly support the same. The bent portion 20 is extended forwardly to a point approximately central of the leaf spring 18 in order to increase the resiliency of the device. The means employed for retaining the outer end of the bent portion 20against the how 15 comprises backwardly extended lugs22 which are laterally formed upon the bent portion 20 and which are adapted for engagement against the opposite sides of the how 15 to prevent the lateral displacement of the same. The how 15 is protected from the frictional engagement of the lugs 22 by the employment of a portion of leather which is positioned between the lugs and adapted to engage the how 15 when the cover is closed.

For regulating the tension of the bent portion 20 of the spring a strap 24 is employed which is riveted as at 26, to the how 15 adjacent the upper end thereof, the strap 24 being depended and engaged through the loop 21. The strap is provided with a buckle 25 of common construction employed for the purpose of adjusting the length of the same and thus the distance between the rear end of the leaf spring 18 and the upper end of the bow 15.

When the top 16 is folded down the leaf spring 18 is engaged upon the rest 17 when the bows 15, 141 and 13 are respectively engaged upon the spring 18, whence the weight of the top is distributed upon the bent portion 20 of the spring. It is readily seen from this construction and arrangement of parts that the outer or rear end of the leaf spring 18 produces in conjunction with the returned or bent portion 20 a double resilient action, thereby increasing the effectiveness of such a device. The opposite side of the body 10 is provided with a similar arrangement in order to support the opposite bows of the top.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device as specified the combination with a vehicle of a folding top therefor, a leaf spring pivotally mounted concentrically with the bows of said top, a loop formed upon the rear extremity of said spring, a strap adjustably engaged through said loop and about the upper end of the rearmost of the bows of said top, a returned portion formed on said spring for engagement with the inner face of said rearmost bow, lugs laterally extended from the outer extremity of said returned portion, said lugs being curved backwardly to engage the opposite sides of said rearmost bow and a portion of flexible material carried between said lugs for preventing frictional engagement of said lugs against the sides aforesaid.

2. A device'as specified comprising a plurality of bows pivotally mounted upon a vehicle to support a cover therefor, a rest mounted adjacent said bows on the vehicle, a leaf spring concentrically pivoted with said bows and adapted for engagement on said rest at an intermediate point thereof, a returned portion formed on the rear extremity of said leaf spring, a loop formed at the junction of said leaf spring and said returned portion, an adjustable strap engaged through said loop and carried by the adjacent bow, lugs formed on the outer end of said returned portion for engagement with the adjacent bow, and a portion of flexible material interposed between said lugs and said bow to protect the bow from frictional engagement with said lugs.

3. A support for carriage tops including a leaf spring concentrically pivoted with a carriage top, a loop formed upon the rear end of said sprin a returned portion extended forwardly from said loop, lugs formed upon the forward end of the re turned portion for engagement with the bows of the top, and a strap engaged through said loop and about the adjacent bow of the top for tensionally retaining said returned portion against the bows.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. BARNU M Witnesses lVILLIAM E. HART, LEWIS F. RICHARDSON- 

